So the Trauma
by Magic Flying Spud
Summary: So the Drama AU. Eric is a girl. Kim is gay. Drakken & Shego's scheme stings a little harder.


" _The person you go to Prom with…it makes — a statement."_

* * *

Shego is right on top of her — poker chips scatter everywhere at their crash landing, and the green woman over-does her plasma punch. Her hand splinters through the wood and gets stuck in the billiards table. The girls lock eyes and Kim feels a thrill unlike any other.

It's hard to explain what it is about this specific moment that is so formative. Perhaps we should take a step back.

Kim and Ron infiltrate The Bermuda Triangle, an infamous nightclub owned by the formidable Big Daddy Brotherson. It's such a high profile spot that Kim actually has to go undercover for this job. No crop top and cargo pants for this one — no, she dresses to the nines. Ron tries to dress up to the nines too but — erm — he places a little too much faith in his dad's Prom outfit.

But she feels _good_. Kim never shows off her figure. It's a silky navy blue dress that hugs her curves, reminding her that her body has developed a lot in the past few years. Changes that she never gets to acknowledge in the old familiar places. Her bare arms rest at her sides, taut with muscles. She feels cold inside the bar but it's okay. Because for once she actually looks like a girl and gets to be an adult. The heels help, giving her that little physical boost of imagined maturity.

When the inevitable does pounce on her, she can't help but notice that Shego is dressed to the nines as well. Same Harlequin pattern with the criss-cross of black and emerald, but not even close to the skin-tight ensemble from their ol' runarounds. In fact, Kim would even go so far as to say that Shego's dressed — does _loosely_ work in a sitch like this?

Long sleeves, crop top, and a skirt with an elastic waistband. The fabric flutters with each flip and kick. It's never been like this before — which is weird. Surely Kim and Shego have had more climactic battles before — is it really just the change in wardrobe? Is that something vain to observe?

When Kim's ankles wrap around Shego's exposed stomach to kick her across the room, there's a moment where their bodies are so tightly compressed to each other — Kim can feel Shego's beating chest, her hot breath, her _skin_ — in all the times the girls have fought each other, Kim's pretty sure she's never felt that woman's skin like this and wow, it's something else.

But Kim's not — it's not like she feels anything for Shego...that would mean that she likes girls and Kim doesn't like girls. She likes Ron — or like — she's supposed to. No, she likes Ron! Definitely.

Does she?

Yes.

No?

Things have been weird between them lately. What with the Moodulators and the Mystery Girl from Yamanouchi and the _friend date_ that bails Ron out from sitting at the kid's table…

" _Where's Drakken and what's he up to?"_

Kim's hands are bunching up the fabric of Shego's top, dragging the woman up to her face.

Shego's thin brow pops up and for a second, Kim thinks the green lady is about to snark about Drakken's wacked out schemes or something, but instead the woman says, "What? Are you trying to pull my top off or something, Princess?"

It's quiet everywhere — it's almost like Shego's cold voice cuts out all other sound. Kim's ears start ringing and her cheeks go red. Is this real? Are Kim's feelings that transparent? And if Shego does notice them, does that mean that she might — Kim might actually be g—

Shego's heel cuts out from under them and nails Kim clean in the chin. Her entire body jerks back, a purple bruise already planted along her jawline.

It doesn't matter. The ceiling blows out, Drakken and Shego get away (" _You think you're all that Kim Possible but you're not even close!_ " Drakken snarls and for once, that insult actually stings.), and Kim still has no idea what the Bad Doctor is planning.

This is so annoying.

* * *

Her name is Erica. New girl, Ron's showing her the ropes.

" _Well isn't that interesting? Actually that's my chair. Not that my name's on it but…"_

Erica's tall. Brunette, wavy hair, it curls back up towards her cute little head just as it skims the shoulders. Tanned skin, bright eyes, cute smile, really cute smile actually... and she just steals Ron's chair right out from under him. A little presumptuous because truth be told, Ron clearly has dibs on that chair.

Ron whines in the background and Erica doesn't even acknowledge him. No, she's leering at Kim. Kim wants to snap at this random girl — how dare she treat her best friend like that? But as that smile glistens at her — no, _for_ her — she feels it, this pattering in her chest. Her heart beats faster than she can process and while she wants to kindly ask this girl to give Ron his chair back — she can't.

Kim's voice becomes as thin as tissue paper, crinkling when she makes some joke about Monique-speak. Kim feels small. Here she is: the girl who has saved the world more times than would fit on a resume and she can't even stomach saying something — anything — about herself.

So Erica makes a bold move and asks about Kim. Very forward. This girl _wants_ her.

This is happening way too fast — she can't handle a relationship right now — who is she kidding? This is a girl. Girls don't date other girls — right?

Or — wow, Kim, way to be ignorant, girls can date girls it's just — _she_ doesn't date other girls. _She_ likes boys.

" _Ha ha! Ha! Yeah! Kim is such a kidder. Did I mention that we've known each other since Pre-K? Good times! GOOD TIMES!"_

Soda spills everywhere — Ron's jellin'. It's painfully obvious and there's just so many threads to connect right now.

Erica is a girl and likes Kim. Probably. Kim already likes Erica. Ron obviously likes Kim otherwise he wouldn't be acting like a total weirdo. Kim likes Ron — a lot — something has been blooming between them all year.

Kim is suddenly having a really hard time breathing. All eyes are on her — Erica, Ron, and Monique — even people from other tables — what is she supposed to say?

Kim remembers how it felt to tussle with a woman — how different a girl's skin feels on hers — how the fingers settle across an arm — how the lips come in at each other — what?

She's never touched a girl. _Been_ touched by a girl. Never _wanted_ any of that. Before Erica.

The new girl is staring.

Gulp.

This is a really important moment. It's in the air. What she says next changes her world.

" _It feels like a loop has just been formed and I'm not in it."_

Ron says it, not her. But he's right. Stars cross each other and come in at each other fast, their linings tangled and now cosmos are winding about each other in a vortex while the knot intensifies its hold on them. Kim can't look away from this girl.

Finally, she manages to speak past the dry throat. "Me and Ron are getting Bueno Nacho after school today. Do you want to tag along? We can hang out and stuff, you seem really cool."

* * *

Kim doesn't have an ego. Or rather…

Kim _can't_ have an ego. She's sixteen years old and expected to save the world week in and week out. With all the press coverage, she's in too vulnerable of a position to let it go to her head. That's why Ron always has her back.

Ron loves attention, probably more than Kim does, but they make an agreement the first time a camera strays away from him; let it be. Ron has to stay grounded. For her, or else she'll just fly away.

That's how they can still go to Bueno Nacho just like your basic average girl and her best friend might. But today? Ron is pouting — he sits across Kim in the booth as always, assuming that this new girl, Erica, will sit besides him but she decidedly doesn't; she sits next to Kim.

Kim blushes the second the girl slides besides her, but Erica doesn't even bat an eye at it. They end up sharing food — Kim tries to learn more about Erica but the confident young lass is tight-lipped. Erica moves around the country a lot and lost her mother when she was very young. It's just Erica and her dad now. A dad that she doesn't see much because he's always staying late at the office.

Erica explains this quickly and succinctly and then barrages Kim with questions about herself. Kim hates talking about herself but try as she might, she can't steer the conversation away from that.

How long have you been saving the world? Three years.

How did that all start? A mistake. A billionaire meant to call Team Impossible but made a typo. Fortunately, my cheer moves helped me rescue him from his own laser trap.

What do you like to do for fun? Um. Shopping I guess. I don't know, does saving the world with Ron count as fun? I feel like it does.

Kim keeps looking to Ron for help — something, anything, but the boy sits there moping — and she really needs him right now. After a while, she gives up. Ron can mope if he wants.

What's there to be afraid of? This Erica girl is really nice.

Cute too. But things don't have to go down that way. They can just be friends. Kim really wants to be her friend.

So she asks her out to a movie that same night; she forgets to ask Ron and though Ron notices, he doesn't bother on intruding. He can tell which way the wind is blowing.

* * *

Kim doesn't notice how much time she has spent with Erica until she gets a 9-1-1 from Wade; Drakken scooped her Dad right out of his own office and now no one knows where he is. It's stressful and of course Erica is there to comfort her and all that, but Ron isn't there.

Ron is — somewhere.

And it's weird because that's not normal. Kim and Ron are always together when Wade calls about a mission because Kim and Ron are always together. Inseparable.

Last time Kim sees Ron, he snatches the loudspeaker from the Tweebs and shouts "COOTIE ALERT!"

It's a little childish — she knows it's a prelude to a longer conversation but at the moment she doesn't really have the patience for it. She and Erica are just friends — yeah, they're sitting across Ron feeding each other slices of pizza — but that doesn't mean they are anything more than that…

Ron's just prone to drama... _I guess?_

But things go back to normal fast. It's not long before some former associate is flying Kim and Ron to Drakken's new Arctic lair. She spend the majority of the flight listening to Ron chatter away about how Bueno Nacho has really gone down the crapper. No more Naco night, kiddie toys, and Ned's clip-on tie has been clipped off.

Oy vey.

But still, it's nice for Ron to talk to her like she's a normal human. Because there's nothing between her and Erica that would justify such a frosty cold shoulder.

* * *

When Kim and Ron do locate James Timothy Possible, he's totally zonked out. So a Brain Tap machine is likely involved. But what would Drakken want from her dad? Maybe an apology for their college strifes? Maybe. At this point it feels like Drakken is just messing with her. Because Kim seriously doesn't get it.

"Why do you care so much?" Erica asks her one night. It's late. Definitely past curfew and if the cops caught them on the swingset together at the park — they could technically get arrested for loitering? She's not sure. Either way she texts her parents to let them know she's safe.

Kim looks up at Erica. At some point, they started holding hands. "Well — Drakken hurts people and if I can figure out what he's up to — well — you know."

"No, I don't," Erica says. It's rare for her to be so serious. She's always flirting with her bold and brash can do attitude. She pushes a hair behind her ear and shuffles her swing closer to Kim's. "There's people who do this for a living. Like — paid and stuff. You're just a teenage girl with an iron will and a lotta heart. The best you can do is show up and stop him. Honestly, you should be given more to work with."

The seat of Erica's swing touches Kim's. She can feel the pressure of the girl's body through the rubber. Kim doesn't say anything as Erica's thumb runs across her knuckle. She avoids eye contact for a little bit out of shyness. "It's important to me though. I like doing the best I can and I feel like I'm not at my best right now. Ron and I haven't really been in sync lately."

"Can I ask you something?"

Kim takes in a deep breath. "He's just a little jealous of me and you — I don't blame him, he's kinda ticking me off with his drama but I haven't been the most cordial either — "

"I don't want to talk about Ron; I want to talk about _us_."

Us. Now that's a scary word.

Kim and Erica are so close, the tanned girl's neck craning past the chains.

Erica smiles just the slightest. "We've been dating for a month now, yeah?"

"D-dating?" Kim freezes. "Have we been — dating? Really?"

"What? Yeah, I thought that's what we've been doing. You don't — you're not — "

"Um." Kim can't think of anything else. They nestle closer. "I don't know. I like you a lot — I — well — I wanted to date I just wasn't sure if you — "

"Kim, I'm already out."

"Out? Oh...oh."

"It's okay, I know you're not. You treat me differently when we're at school and I know you're facing a different pressure but — I've dated a lot of girls who weren't out yet and it's really hard on my end. Lots of emotional labor, and I don't know if I can do it again."

Kim looks up and eyes those beautiful chocolate brown eyes. She can't meet them and looks back down. "It's hard, yeah. I mean — what if my site bombs because I'm gay?"

"Are you gay?"

"I don't know. Probably," Kim touches Erica's shoulder. "But I can't let that stop me from saving the world. People might want me to go away if I came out and — I can't lose that. Can I think about it?"

"Always Kim. I don't want to pressure you."

"You kind of are though."

The chains clink as the swings fall back into their normal spots.

* * *

"Shego!"

Drakken screams, feet moving with such a swing that they unbutton his lab-coat. He freezes when he finds Shego in _his_ chair, looking over the logistics of his evil, evil scheme. "Shego! Why is _my_ Synthodrone — my carefully constructed weapon to once and for all destroy _Kim Possible_ — " His voice drops low as she rises to face him. " — a girl?"

Shego arches an eyebrow and leans back. "Ha. Well — I was looking at your plans. A toy design, top secret cybertronic technology, Synthodrone personality and performance upgrades, and teen scene junk. I still honestly don't get it but the Synthodrone stuff? Yeah. You should have ditched the Oh Boyz roundtable and gone with this."

"Hm?" Drakken frowns as the image of _Teen Scene Junk_ on the monitor is replaced by Patricia Highwood's _The Price of Salt._ "Lesbian pulp fiction? What does that have to do with anything?"

Shego flashes her canines. "Kim Possible is not smarter than you."

Drakken blinks. Takes him a second to get it. "Ooooooooh."

"Mhm. If _you_ can't figure it out, _she_ can't figure it out…and that means…"

"We — we actually might win?" Drakken coughs right away. "Nyrhm — I mean — I was already quite confident but — " His fist rubs against the front of his coat. " — Eric was supposed to be a boy. The ultimate hottie — something to make Kimberly Ann go gaga — "

Shego's finger presses to his lips and he stops talking. Dark embers in her eyes. A little unnerving; she's never this invested in one of his schemes. "Right — but that won't work. Trust me."

* * *

" _Camp Wannaweep. The worst summer of my life."_

" _I know, I know. The ticks, the poison ivy, the toxic lake, your mom stopped accepting your phone calls…"_

" _Yeah, you know, all that stuff was bad KP. But you know what was worse? Spending a whole summer away from you."_

This is supposed to be a big moment; Ron never gets this serious. He holds that smile on for dear life. For her sake mostly. She replicates what Erica did for her the past night and grabs his hand, rubbing a thumb over his knuckles. Her movements are as precise as Erica's and it seems to calm Ron down a little. She edges closer to him and he looks up.

"Ron, you know we're always going to be best friends. Nothing will ever change that."

Ron's spine folds inwardly and he says back, "What is it Kim?"

"What do you mean?"

"You want to tell me something, right? I can tell. You get this look in your eye when you're nervous."

"O-oh. Yeah. Um," she bites her lip. "Yeah. This is — kind of — a big deal — um — "

"It's okay, KP. You can tell me."

Ron's voice is always fluctuating but in this moment it's so steady. Her jaw tightens and she makes sure to really look at him when she says it.

At first, the sounds end abruptly and she has to catch her breath.

"I'm gay."

Nothing changes in Ron's eyes and it's infuriating. Of course he already knows, but this has been sparking dangerously within her for weeks now. It's this earth shattering revelation and he's just staring — it's so — anticlimactic. She chokes and falls into his arms, and no matter how kind his words are — no matter how present he is — they're drifting, gliding away on different planes of reality.

She reaches out and grabs his arm, tugging hard on his sleeve. Snot bubbles in her nose and she looks up at him. "I don't want to lose you."

"You're not going to KP — "

"But it doesn't even feel like you're here."

Ron's jaw tightens; he's obviously holding something back too and she's not sure if he's drawing away because he doesn't want to take from her moment, or if it's because he just doesn't want her to know his little secret. She blinks back tears and is pretty sure she sees his freckles sparkle from his own crying.

"I'm trying, Kim," he says quietly.

It's like a nail in the coffin.

* * *

She knows her parents love her, she's been telling herself that all week. But still, this isn't an easy conversation. It's strange, sitting across the living room from then. For the past three years, the spotlight has followed her relentlessly, yet in this moment, she's sweating under its focus. Maybe because this isn't famed teen hero, Kim Possible, it's just teenage Kim in an identity crisis.

She read online that it's typical for someone to bring their partner when coming out to their family — if that's the case. But Kim didn't invite Erica. Not ready for it yet or something. So instead it's Ron's clammy hand that's holding hers. She feels bad that she doesn't have the strength to reach back but he doesn't seem to mind. He's so warm and she's so cold.

"Mom, Dad…" Kim says slowly. She bites her lip and tries for a joke. "Tweebs…" It doesn't land. "Um...I wanted to talk to you guys because — it's become apparent to me that…"

She freezes and bows her head, taking in a deep breath. When she comes back up, everything is tense. Her brothers look up at her in wonder, they've never seen her this withdrawn before. A deep wrinkle cuts under Anne's dry eyes and it almost feels like she already knows. Her father is the one who seems the calmest. The way his bold eyes keep falling back to Ron's hand, he probably thinks the two are dating.

She should probably speak up now — else her Dad will probably think that she's pregnant. Not really the case.

"I'm gay."

It's two words that tear at her chest, and there's a deathly calm that follows.

Seconds pass and suddenly Kim is enveloped in warmth, tears are flying and everyone is holding each other. How could she forget she has the kindest most wonderful family in the world?

Ron is the last to fall into the group hug. His shaking hands very tentatively fall onto her shoulders and she turns up to him and lifts the hand off her lips and clutches onto him for dear life. She's never heard him sob before, but it's a very welcome change of pace.

* * *

You're supposed to act normal when you bring someone to school by hand for the first time. It's casual, a declaration that you're taken, but clearly that has been the sitch for some time so as you saunter down those halls, you talk to your partner like you would on any other day. But queer people don't really get that.

Holding hands with Erica as they pass through the door, it's obvious that they are making a statement. They hold hands because they have to, they have to make it clear that they aren't like all the other kids. They're gay.

It makes her anxious. Kim has done this whole runaround before, like when she dated Josh Mankey. But that wasn't really a statement. She is gay, and will forever be gay, because hundreds of eyes are crawling all over her body and immediately looking away in feigned disinterest. But really, no one can stop talking about how the famous Kim Possible is gay.

Erica squeezes Kim's hand tight because she's there for her. Apparently, the new girl has already done this plenty of times at other schools so she's used to the staring.

The reaction that frightens Kim the most is Bonnie's. What will the rival cheerleader say? Is Bonnie homophobic? Will Kim not be allowed in the locker room with the other girls after this? Where does being gay fare on the food chain? Is it okay?

When Kim locks eyes with Bonnie, there's a spark that flies and sears. Then falls back like receding waves. Bonnie smiles. Not in a condescending way. Just as if to say _Oh, I get it_. Kim doesn't realize how tightly her jaw is clamped until she passes by her rival, and she has to see if she can get some Advil from the nurse's office because of it.

But the rest of the day is smooth sailing. Whatever Kim dreaded doesn't happen. Because maybe — just maybe — she can have this.

* * *

" _The Diablo toys are evil!"_

Ron is stark raving mad. The cute balloon gates leading to the Prom bends under his weight and the music stops. Kim doesn't release Erica's hand as she stares at Ron sadly.

" _See...wait — what?! Where are they?"_

" _You okay dude?"_

" _Oh I know that tone! That's the_ Ron's making it all up _tone! But it doesn't matter what you think or what anyone else thinks because my best friend will believe me. Right Kim?"_

Kim blinks a few times, just trying to catch up. She really doesn't _want_ to believe Ron's story — something about looking smart and calm in front of Erica is important to her — people already think she's losing her marbles switching teams...but she really doesn't like Erica's condescension.

The way Erica's roughly lands her hands on Ron's narrow shoulders, that assumptive language. When Ron looks to her, her nerves ramp up in intensity. She grabs her bare arm and frowns.

" _Oh...um...I believe you…? The toys were here."_

" _And they were evil!"_

" _Um — right."_

" _Buckle up Kim because it gets weirder."_

She blows the hair from her eyes. Why is Ron making this into a scene? She knows something is going on between them but this is so not appropriate...

" _Oh, I'll bet…."_

" _Drakken is behind the whole thing!"_

Her heart stops. Drakken?

Erica laughs into her fist. _"The takeover the world mad scientist guy?"_

" _Yes, look! It's all so obvious! He's using more than 30,000 Bueno Nacho locations worldwide to give out his evil prizes."_

Kim looks to Ron and sees utter conviction in his eyes. Neither of them knows anything about Drakken's scheme —have known more since the Nakasumi-san sitch really. Drakken has completely waysided them and this — this stupid thing about evil toys? It is plausible?

Even if it isn't plausible — Ron would never use a mission to steal Kim away. He's not that kind of guy.

Kim reaches out and takes Ron's hand. He blushes for some reason. She raises an eyebrow but decides not to ask. "Ron, I believe you. Let's get out of here and call Wade."

Another hand touches Kim's. She looks back to see Erica's pleading eyes.

"His story is ridiculous, are you kidding me Kim?" Erica snarks.

Kim looks to Ron and hands him the Kimmunicator, nodding to him that she'll catch up. Ron pats her on the back and walks out the way he came in. Once she's certain he can't hear, Kim looks back up at Erica. "I know it's ridiculous but so is Drakken. Ron's my best friend and I trust him — if I'm wrong, I'll — "

" — if you're wrong, you're wrong. You can't make it up to me. This is it Kim."

Kim's heart stops again and she can feel her fingers slipping away from this beautiful girl's — even though they haven't moved an inch. Kim takes in a deep breath. "Don't make me choose that."

"Kim — you're scared. I get it, it's scary being gay — but — "

All heads turn towards them. The music stops again.

" — running away on a wild goose chase with your idiot best friend is not a rational response. Grow up. Do you want to be a closet case of a kid or do you want to be with me?"

Kim mouths something indistinct. There are so many eyes on her. Eventually, she whimpers something that sounds like "I'm sorry" and goes after Ron.

* * *

" _You will surrender! Shego went over to your dance and she found the cutest girl. Well, I don't have to tell_ you _about her…."_

" _...Kim. What's going on?"_

It hurts to much to see Erica held under Shego's arm; as mean and forceful as she is, she doesn't deserve this. Kim isn't ready to be with her and they kind of sort of just broke up but Drakken doesn't know that of course, so he kidnaps the poor girl.

" _The choice is yours Kimberly Ann. If you care about your girlfriend's safety, surrender is your only option!"_

Drakken has never been so scary.

"Wade," Kim says to the air, her screen paused on Erica's pretty face. "You said you were developing an experimental suit for me. We need to pull out all the stops — is it ready?"

* * *

Shego's claw crawls across Erica's — or rather, Synthodrone 901's chest — greedily.

Kim should be looking at Erica but for some reason, she can't take her eyes off Shego.

Electricity is still crackling through her chest and she can't stay awake any longer. She wants to look at Erica and hope that maybe if she begs enough, the double agent will feel a shred of guilt and help her. But no. She can't look at Erica.

Kim's already disassociated — Erica isn't real. It is just a ploy. A ploy to get her to come out and look like a big idiot.

There's this high pitched cackle — it's unusual for Shego — she never sounds soft. It's playful — manic almost.

This isn't any ordinary scheme — it's easy to read behind the lines. Shego drapes her arm over Erica like the Synthodrone is property. Drakken may have cooked up the goo that made the Benedict Arnold...but it's Shego that aligned the chromosomes. She saw something desperate and raw hiding within Kim at the nightclub, and took full advantage of it.

A rare moment of intimacy has been molten into something very ugly.

Blackness.

* * *

" _You really think there's someone out there for me?"_

Kim doesn't know why she liked Erica that much. Girl hasn't treated Ron with respect nor stopped pressuring her to come out. Like — makes sense that things turned out the way they did. But still — it really hurts.

Ron gets a little shifty eyed. She has a hard time focusing even though she's sure what he is saying is inspirational. Despite it all, he never stops believing in her.

" _Out there...in here…"_

She looks over to him and sees that frown. She wishes she could break free from these ropes and hold him tight. "Ron, I wish I could love you. I know it doesn't make sense to you because this is really new to you but….I can't. You're like a brother to me. And I don't mean that in a bad way. You're the greatest friend a girl you could have."

He smile a little. "Yeah. Always KP."

There's this long pause and finally she says something he doesn't really have the nerve to say right now. "I should stop throwing a pity party, huh?"

Ron grins. "Oh yes. Please."

"So...how do we get out of this?"

Ron laughed and clicked his tongue. "Rufus."

"Rufus?" she blinks back.

"Yeah, you don't see him down there with the laser lipstick?"

"What?" She looks down and sure enough, sees their naked little buddy with said Wade weapon clenched between his big honkin' teeth. "Oh dang."

As the laser cleaves through the ropes holding the duo down, Ron winks over to her. "Brain Trust has always got your back KP."

* * *

" _You know what I really hate?"_

" _That your date melted?"_

" _No. You."_

Shego throws her arms up in defense but Kim is already way ahead of her. Her foot slips between the arms and aims for the green lady's chest.

It would be so easy. With the suped up strength of the battle suit, she can easily knock Shego all the way into that stupid signal tower — make the pain as personal as Shego did. After all, there's no way Drakken cooked up this scheme all on his own.

She can feel the flesh push against her heel and momentarily resist before being throttled. She can imagine the twitch in her own foot as it hangs in the air, waiting to feel the gush of wind from the resulting explosion.

But none of that happens. No — Kim's foot halts before Shego and just sort of hangs there. She wants so badly to for once let loose on someone but she can't do it. Something crackles in her eyes as she watches Shego tense as if she were about to die. There's a clap of thunder and then rain continues to pit-pat-patter around them.

There's this high-pitched wheeze that might be Shego's heaving breaths. Kim almost feels sorry for her.

Enough time passes that it feels safe to drop her foot. The two women look each other in the eye. Despite everything, Kim feels so much bigger than her.

"You knew I was gay," Kim says in a bit of an assumptive tone. "At the Bermuda Triangle, yeah?"

Shego looks away, hair matted down by the rain. "Yeah," Kim is pretty sure Shego mutters.

Kim shakes her head slowly. She can't believe what she's looking at right now. "You must be too then."

"Huh?" Shego looks up. "No, I'm bi."

Kim's eyes widen a little before she regains her composure. "Got it. But you still used my sexuality against me. Do you have any idea how messed up that is?"

No sound passes between them for some time.

Kim brushes some hair behind her ear. There's more words but Shego's not worth her time. She wants to kill her — like actually kill her but if she does that, she would get in serious trouble. But it makes sense. Her self-preservation is mangled and she's depressed — and gay. Shego is sort of gay too. This is what happens. It's systemic. It's community.

Shego needs help. What she did i so wrong but — Kim can't bare to sentence the woman. So Kim turns on her heel and walks away.

Shego doesn't move from her spot until the police come and cuff her.

* * *

She really likes it when Ron holds her hand now. Before, he sweat at her touch, now he's so calm. It's nice.

People cheer when the duo walk onto the dance floor; they're probably misinterpreting what's happening between the two but that's okay. Who cares about this stupid food chain crap?

Rufus makes a move. He scurries to the floor and manages to push Kim's bare leg into Ron's baggy pants. They both blush. Ron stoops down and very gently pokes Rufus' nose.

"Hey little buddy, Kim likes girls," Ron whispers to Rufu. "It's not happening between us."

Kim smiles and leans forward. "But your support is always appreciated."

It's minutes later and they're in the center of everything. It's a slow dance, which is nice. Both of their bodies are heaving with exhaustion; it's a miracle they're both still standing.

The way Ron's hand is wrapped around her waist — it's very secure. She almost feels guilty because it's obvious what Ron is doing. The affection isn't coming from his wanting for her though — he just wants her to be happy, and to feel like the normal girl she was going to be with Erica.

She presses her chest to his and her fingers rub circles on the nape of his neck. Kim definitely got hit with the harsher end of the trauma stick in this sitch, but Ron still needs help too.

"Hey I misspoke earlier, and I don't mean to lead you on but..." she whispers as they spin around. "I love you so much."

He looks away from the flashing lights on the wall and into his friend. They've never really said anything like this before. "I love you too KP. You going to be okay?"

"Yeah. Long as I'm with you."

* * *

Thanks to neo the saiyan angel for some early feedback. Check out her ongoing: _Fallout_. It's some really powerful stuff about mental health. : )


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